Tractor attachment boom with pivoted separate implements



Oct. 23, 1956 v A. A. WAGNER ET AL 2,767,868

TRACTOR ATTACHMENT BOOM WITH PIVOTED SEPARATE IMPLEMENTS Original Filed March 10, 1950 2 She ets-Sheec l lhwentors IQDOLPH 19. WH/VE8 3B fire/Vol.0 u. WEENE/ attornegs Oct. 23, 1956 A. A. WAGNER ET AL 2,767,868

TRACTOR ATTACHMENT BOOM WITH PIVOTED SEPARATE IMPLEMENTS Original Filed March 10, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 attornegs TRACTOR ATTACHMENT BOOM WITH PIVOTED SEPARATE IMPLEMEN TS Substituted for abandoned application Serial No'. 148,963,

March 10, 1950. Divided and this application November 25, 1953, Serial No. 394,394

7 Claims. (Cl. 214-140) Werner,

This invention relates to a tractor attachment boom with separate implements pivoted at the end thereof, one of which may be operated through the other.

An object of the invention is to provide a tractor boom with an extension comprising a crane attachment and with support members for the re-enforcement of the assembly to enable the boom and attachment to function unitarily as a crane or alternatively, to enable the attachment to be articulated and operated separately for crane purposes. In this connection it is an object of the invention to provide a crane and support members each having complementary extensible parts whereby the crane may be made to assume a variety of different positions respecting the boom.

Another object of the invention is to provide a pivotally mounted tractor boom attachment with a crane accessory having widely spaced leg members pivoted to the end of the boom and with a load-lifting bucket also pivoted to the boom and independently articulated thereon for movement respecting the crane, the bucket being swingable on its pivot between the spaced legs of the crane.

A further object of the invention is to provide for the powered manipulation of the crane, either by a direct connection therewith of a front end hydraulic cylinder, or by an indirect connection thereof through the bucket acting as an intermediate link. In this connection it is an object of the invention to alternatively support the crane in retracted position respecting the bucket when used independently of the crane, and with the bucket when the latter acts as a link in the transmission of hydraulic force from the cylinder to the crane. In this manner the bucket and crane may be interchangeably used, either one being powered by the tractors hydraulic front end attachment, thereby enabling the tractor to be shifted from job to job without the need for extensive implement changes or substitution of separate apparatus.

This application is a companion to our co-pending application Ser. No. 148,961, filed March 10, 1950, now Patent No. 2,672,994, and contains subject matter divided from co-pending application, Ser. No. 148,963, filed March 10, 1950, now abandoned.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be more apparent to one skilled in the art upon an examination of the following disclosure.

In the drawings:

' Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a tractor equipped with boom frame and with a combined crane and materials handling bucket.

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view taken through the pivotal connections of the bucket and the crane with the forward ends of the boom arms.

Fig. 3 is a perspective View of the elevated boomshowing the bucket used as an intermediate link between the hydraulic power cylinder and the crane.

- Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view of a bucket clamp which provides a detachable connection for the crane Support link upon the bucket.

limited States Patent Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a modified crane and support links therefor having complementary extensible parts.

Fig. 6 is a side elevational view of the crane shown in Fig. 5 with the parts extended.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary plan view of the support links and their common connection with the crane.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary cross sectional view taken along the line 8-8 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary cross section taken along the line 9-9 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 10 is a view in side elevation of a further modification of the crane showing a hydraulic front end cylinder on the boom in direct connection with the crane.

Fig. 11 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view of the crane of Fig. 10, portions of the pivotal connections between the crane and boom being shown in cross section.

The tractor diagrammatically illustrated as 16 may be provided with a base frame, indicated generally as 17, and with a boom frame, indicated generally as 18, pivotally connected to the base frame on the base frame cross member 19. The boom frame comprises longitudinally extending laterally spaced lever arms 22 which extend frontally of the tractor. The boom frame levers are provided intermediate their ends with depending arms 23 which pivotally connect at 24 to the piston rods 25 of the dual hydraulic cylinders 26 by which the boom is pivotally movable on the base frame. The raising and lowering of the boom is controlled by the multiple circuit fluid valve 29. One circuit of the valve is controlled by handle 30 by which hydraulic fluid from a tractor engine driven pump (not shown) may be admitted to or released from the cylinders 26. Another circuit to be hereinafter described and which leads to a front end third cylinder 35 is controlled by the handle 48.

Certain material handling attachments may be pivotally secured to the forward ends of the boom levers 22. As best shown in Figs. 10 and 11 a crane having an arm 27 and a transverse tubular base member 28 may be pivotally connected to the boom levers 22. The respective ends of the levers 22 are apertured at 32 to provide bearings in which a removable pintle or rock shaft 31 may be received. The tubular member 28 is provided with bushing inserts 40 fitting shaft 31 whereby the tube is rotatably supported on the shaft. Rock shaft 31 is detachably secured in bearing position by means of the end washers 33 and cotter pins 34, the respective washers bearing against the opposed end surfaces of the arms 22.

As disclosed in my co-pending applications aforesaid, the boom is provided with a third hydraulic cylinder 35 which, as shown in Fig. 1, is pivotally connected at 36 to a cross member 37 of the boom frame and which is provided with an extensible piston rod 38 that may be used to manipulate the crane. The piston rod may be pivoted at 39 to a crank arm 42 directly fixed to the crane arm 27 by clamp 43 (Figs. 10 and 11). The arm 42 is further provided with a brace 44 extending from a welded or like connection 45 near the outer end of the crane arm 27 to a similar connection 46 with the crank arm 42. The hydraulic cylinder is independently controlled through hand lever 48 on the control valve 29 and provides a means for the powered manipulation of the crane arm 27 independently of boom articulation respecting the tractor.

The crane arm 27 may be further provided with the oblique braces 47 which extend from a fixed connection intermediate the ends of the crane arm to a fixed connection near the ends of the rotatable member 28. In this manner lateral rigidity of the crane arm is insured. A modification of the crane is shown in Figs. 5 and 6 wherein the crane comprises telescopically related parts P a'tented Oct. 23, 1956.

including a base portion 50 of hollow tubular form and a telescopic arm 51 slidably received within the base 50 and which may be extended or retracted therein as desired. The arm 51 and base 50 are respectively pro vided with alignable apertures 52 and with interchangeable bolts 53 which may be mutually engaged with aligned arm and base apertures to fix the arm and base in selected relative position.

In. this modification of the crane, complementary extensibly related support links 54 and 55 may be substituted for the hydraulic cylinder 35. As best shown in Fig. 9 the extensible support links 54 comprise spaced straps pivotally connected at their rear ends by transverse pins 56 to brackets 57 fixed at the rear ends of the boom lever arms 22. The extensibly related links 55 are respectively embraced by the spaced straps 54 and are mutually pivotally connected at their forward ends, as best shown in Fig. 8, on pin 58 to bracket 59 fixed to the. crane arm 51.

The respective links 54, 55 are provided with mutually alignable apertures 62, 63 through which the interchangeable bolt and nut elements 64 may be received to fix the links in selected relative position.

The relative positions of the extensible parts of the crane and of the support link parts may be varied at will to provide any desired inclination of the crane arm respecting the boom and any extension thereof. In secured selected position the crane will be rigid respecting the boom and the crane may be manipulated with the boom by means of the paired side cylinders 26. The spacing ofthe respective crane and link apertures 52 and 62, 63 is desirably such as to provide for a complementary change in the relative position of the parts to preserve a selected crane inclination respecting the boom in its several. extended positions, if such is desired.

In Fig. 1 the crane assumes a somewhat ditferent form. The crane arm 66 provides a common connection for the spaced crane legs 67 which diverge therefrom and are bent at 63 into substantially parallel leg portions 69 which have a pivotal connection upon the pintles 72 with the forward ends of the boom arms 22.

The leg portions 69 of the crane are spaced sufficiently to receive in pivotal connection therebetween a material handling implement which is illustrated for purposes of exemplification as a manure bucket 73 having forwardly projecting tines 71.. The bucket 73 is provided with spaced brackets 74 which are respectively pivoted on the pins 72 independently of the crane leg pivots, thus permitting independent articulation of the bucket 73 between the spaced legs of the crane.

The bucket may be manipulated by means of the hydraulic front end cylinder 35. The cylinder has its pistonrod 38 in pivotal connection at 76 with a bucket bracket 75. When it is desired to use the bucket, the crane may be swung on its pivot 72 to the position illustrated in Fig. l and braced in this retracted position to the boom frame by means of a link 77 secured to the arm 66 of the crane upon clamp collar 78 and to the boom frame by means of a removable bolt 79 which selectively engages one of the brackets 57 at either side of the boom. In this retracted position the crane is swung out of the working range of the bucket, which is independently pivotable on the pintles 72 for manipulation by the hydraulic cylinder 35.

If it is desired to manipulate the crane by means of the hydraulic cylinder 35, the crane may be swung forward on itspivotedlegs and the link 77 transferred from its connection with the boom brackets 57 to a connection with the bucket 73 on a clamp bracket 82. The bucket 73 thus acts as an intermediate link between the hydraulic cylinder 35 and the crane and moves in unisoi with the crane during its powered manipulation. The bucket clamp bracket 82, as best shown in Fig. 4, is releasably secured tothe flared margin. 83 of the bucket by means of a. bolt 84., The bracket is provided with spaced 4 aperturcd ears 85 to receive therebetween the apertured end of the link 77. The link 77 is alternatively connected to the bucket bracket 82 or the boom brackets 57 as desired.

From the foregoing description it is evident that the provision for interchangeable powered use of a crane and. bucket or other material handling implement independently articulate on the front end of the tractor boom increases the adaptability of the tractor and permits the tractor to be shifted from one job to another without requiring extensive implement changes or substitution of a completely separately equipped tractor.

We claim:

1". A materials handling device comprising the combination with a boom, of a pair of implements pivoted to the boom, means mounted. on the boom for oscillating one of the implements about its pivot and means for connecting the second implement to said one implement to receive motion therethrough, the second implement being pivotally movable, when free of such connection, to a retracted position in which said one implement is left free for independent operation.

2. The device of claim 1 in which the one implement comprises a bucket and the second implement comprises a crane. having supporting legs spaced to receive the bucket the crane having a free end portion adjacent which it is provided with a link to which the bucket and boom have selectively engageable connections.

3. The device of claim 2 in which the means for oscillating the bucket respecting the boom comprises a.

fluid motor having telescopically extensible parts respectively connected to the boom and to the bucket, the connection to.the boom being at a point substantially midway between the sides of the boom.

4, A tractor attachment comprising a mounting frame having anelevated portion, a boom having laterally spaced sides pivotally connected with the mounting frame at said portion, said boom. including upstanding struts intermediate the ends of the boom and mounted on the respective sides, a cross connection between said struts, a fluidmotor comprising telescopically extensible parts one of which is attached to the cross connection between the struts, a bucket having ears pivotally connected to the sides of the. boom adjacent the free end thereof, the other part of said fluid motor being connected with the bucket for the, oscillation thereof about its pivotal connection with the boom, and a crane comprising legs spaced to clear the, bucket. andpivotally connected to the respective sides of the boom outside of the pivotal connection of the bucket thereto, said crane having a releasable connection Withthe'bucket to receive motion therethrough from said tluidmotor.

5. A materials handling attachment for a tractor provided with a removably mounted base frame and with a.

boom pivotally movable respecting the base frame, comprising. a crane, said crane being pivoted directly to the free end of the boom, and a rigid support link between the boom and cranev to hold said crane against pivotal movement, said support link comprising an implement havinga pivotal connection with the boom upon which the implement is independently articulate respecting the boom, said link further. comprising a member attached to the crane and implement and a hydraulic cylinder having extensible parts respectively connected to the boom and the implement, whereby hydraulic power to articulate said crane on its pivot is transmitted from the cylinder through theimplement to the crane 6. A materials handling attachment for a tractor comprising the combination with a boom and a tractor-supported mounting with. which the boom is in pivotal connection,,of a crane. in pivotal connection with the free end of the boom, and a rigid link connected with the crane adjacent. its free end and connected with the boom at a point? remote fromits free end, the crane comprising laterally spaced legs, the boom. having. a bucket. pivoted to its free end portion for movement between the spaced legs of the crane and said link being selectively connectable with the bucket instead of with the boom.

7. In a material handling attachment for a tractor, the combination with a boom frame having laterally spaced longitudinally extending lever arms pivoted at one end to the tractor, and a crane pivotally connected at the other ends of saidboom arms, said crane comprising an arm and spaced legs mutually connected at said arm and diverging therefrom to spaced pivotal connections with said boom arms, an implement pivotally connected at the free ends of said boom arm and articulate thereon independently of said crane to swing between the legs of said frame, a hydraulic cylinder having extensible parts respectively connected to said boom frame and to said implement, said crane being further provided with a support link alternately connectible with said boom or with said implement, said crane being articulate in unison with said implement in said latter position of the crane link to receive hydraulic power through said implement.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,445,614 Flynn et a1. July 20, 1948 2,495,143 Simmonds Jan. 17, 1950 2,598,517 Drott May 27, 1952 

